(WSVN) - On Tuesday afternoon, Broward County Mayor Michael Udine honored two 911 dispatchers for their service.
“It’s a rewarding job, I’ve been doing it for 35 years, and I don’t regret a day I joined,” said Cheri Fodera.
Fodera was on duty Feb. 2, 2021 when two FBI agents were killed while serving a warrant. She dispatched all available units to respond to the tragic scene.
“I was on the dispatcher radio that morning, and a call came in from an officer saying that someone was hit,” said Fodera. “I didn’t know what he meant, if he was hit by a vehicle, that’s when he said shots fired, and that’s when it pursued into knowing that FBI was out there, and we were assisting them, getting the whole county out to help them. You learn over the years how to put yourself in the moment when needed, how to be sympathetic and how to do your job. It’s a very rewarding job.”
Also getting praised for saving someone’s life was Shaunte Reid.
“A call came in, and the subject was not breathing, and I just went into my training,” said Reid.
Reid helped a panicked caller perform CPR on a someone who had attempted suicide. The patient survived and recovered.
“My whole goal is to help people and to save lives, and I always tell people just accepting this award today, it means the world to me, and it’s not only for me, it’s for all the communication dispatchers that save lives everyday,” she said.
Both women received the Tom Gallagher Award, which pays tribute to emergency dispatchers for their hard work and dedication. They acknowledge that this line of work is challenging, and they’ve seen people come and go, but they are passionate in helping people.
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